FILM REVIEW: MICKEY 17 (15) ESP RATING: 3.5/5

There’s no disputing that everyone involved in this production give it their all.

But it doesn’t quite come together to be the potential classic it’s obviously striving to be – despite some interesting ideas at play.

With Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-Ho (triple winner for 2019’s Parasite) teaming up with Robert Pattinson – who himself is having somewhat of a post-Twilight career renaissance after his accomplished turn in The Batman – all the ingredients were there for something special.

But despite Pattinson – and co-stars Mark Ruffalo and Toni Colette delightfully ‘hamming it up’ in support – it doesn’t form into one coherent piece.

In this sci-fi black comedy, financially-destitute Mickey Barnes (Pattinson) signs up to be an ‘expendable’ on a space mission to escape a murderous loan shark, along with his friend Timo (Nope’s Steven Yeun).

The pair flee Earth to sign up for jobs on a spaceship that is going on a four-year voyage to colonise the planet Niflheim – in an attempt to find a future for mankind – led by egomaniacal failed politician Kenneth Marshall (Ruffalo) and his equally-devious wife, Yifa (Colette).

Mickey’s job is to undertake lethal assignments, then be regenerated after death – with all his previous memories intact – by using Earth-banned cloning technology. Along the way he starts a relationship with security agent Nasha (I Wanna Dance with Somebody’s Naomi Ackie), who becomes his ‘rock’ as he incurs constant savage and painful deaths.

When the expedition finally reaches this faraway planet, the seventeenth iteration of Mickey has to investigate the snowy terrain, and after discovering an alien-like creature – a lifeform nicknamed a ‘Creeper’ – he is tasked with bringing one back for analysis.

But when things go awry, and he’s presumed dead, the eighteenth version of him is cloned, and when they inadvertently cross paths, they both want to stay alive – despite Marshall’s vow to kill any ‘multiple’ clones.

During all the kerfuffle, Mickey 17 has realised the planet’s hairy centipede-looking inhabitants aren’t hostile, and he has to join forces with 18, Nasha and scientist pals to convince Marshall that they pose no threat – before he goes ahead and exterminates them in one glorious triumph.

But despite Mickey 17 being an intriguing premise on paper, it never really manifests into anything massively exciting come the film’s close – and ends up looking more like a Joon-Ho vanity project.

Pattinson, Ruffalo, Collette, Ackie and co, definitely don’t do themselves any harm with accomplished performances, but Mickey’s major regeneration plotline definitely isn’t harnessed to its full potential.

Which might take the ‘Mickey’ out of casual moviegoers – despite flashes of ingenuity making it noteworthy for film buffs.

ESP Rating: 3.5/5

Gavin Miller

Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Patsy Ferran, Anamaria Vartolomei, Cameron Britton & Holliday Grainger

Running Time: 2 Hrs 17 Mins

Director: Bong Joon-Ho

Film Reviewed At: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough

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